The Stroke
"The Stroke" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in 1981 as the debut single from his 3× Platinum album Don't Say No.
| "The Stroke" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Billy Squier | ||||
| from the album Don't Say No | ||||
| B-side | "Two Daze Gone" | |||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | William Squier | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Billy Squier singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "The Stroke” on YouTube | ||||
This was Squier's first single to chart, reaching No. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[3] It was a bigger hit on rock radio, reaching No. 3 on the Top Tracks chart. It also reached the UK Singles Chart, rising to No. 52. It was named the 59th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.[4]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 5 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 3 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 7 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 32 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 52 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 17 |
| US Billboard Top Tracks[3] | 3 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[10] | 17 |
| US Record World[11] | 6 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1981) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[12][5] | 41 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] | 63 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 76 |
In popular culture
- In 1995, the song was used in the movie Billy Madison
- In 2007, the song was used in the movie Blades of Glory
- The song was sampled in "Berzerk" by Eminem on his 2013 album The Marshall Mathers LP 2.[15]
- In 2007, it was used in an episode of the Adult Swim series Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil.[16]
- The song was the inspiration for the 1989 rap artist Maestro Fresh-Wes hit "Let Your Backbone Slide".[17]
- The song was used in the opening mission of the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and is the first sound the player hears upon starting the game's campaign.
- In 2023, the song was used in the movie No Hard Feelings
References
- Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-8460-9091-2.
Later joining Billy Squier's hard rock group in the late Seventies, [Bobby] Chouinard appeared on the hard-rock anthems 'Everybody Wants You', 'In the Dark', and 'The Stroke'.
- Elliott, Paul (May 30, 2016). "The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs". TeamRock. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- "Billy Squier – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014.
- Winistorfer, Andrew (January 5, 2009). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list only slightly less annoying than their hip-hop list". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
- "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- "Billy Squier – The Stroke" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0363." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- "Billy Squier – The Stroke". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 22, 1981". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
- "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World. August 29, 1981. p. 23. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
- "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
- "Top 100 Singles of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- Russell, Alex (August 27, 2013). "Listen: Eminem "Berzerk" (Prod. By Rick Rubin)". Complex. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- "Lucy, Daughter of the Devil – The Music: Episode 8". Quick Stop Entertainment. November 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008.
- "Behind the Vinyl Podcast: Maestro Fresh-Wes , Darby Mills (Headpins), Kim Mitchell on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
External links
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